I'm still intrigued by the Dominguez-Escalante expedition placard found at the Thermo Hot Springs. Growing up in Southern Utah, I had learned through history classes a minor version of the story. Two Franciscan priests explored the area looking for a route from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Monterey, California.[1] There were others as part of the expedition, but it is difficult to remember the runner-ups with a Utah town named Escalante.
Today, of particular interest is a location referred to as the "casting of lots" site on which a marker resides. In Escalante's journal, he recorded that their group had become splintered, some members wishing to return to Santa Fe, others having "grandiose dreams of honors and profit from soley reaching Monterey." [2] The lot determined a return to Santa Fe by way of Cosnina, and that evening they camped here, just 11 miles north of Cedar City, UT.
Old Rambler Hill
One major and two minor peaks reside within the Thermo - UT quadrangle. Old Rambler Hill and Brown Knoll also exist in "Valley Rio de San Jose," so named by the Padres. It's a surprisingly long drive. I opted to take the paved roads to Minersville first, then travel back along the dirt road to the turnoff for the site. Old Rambler Hill sits just east of the dirt road following the signed turnoff.
Old Rambler Hill, like its name implies, is a long rolling rise toward the summit. I crest the first rise and spot a small herd of Antelope watching from the trailing ridgeline. The landscape is barren, and this rise is devoid of even sagebrush as I hike the remaining steps to the peak. No summit marker exists, but the route was longer than I expected, taking too much time. I wander the hillside looking for the high point and the summit point coordinates, which are rarely in the correct location. At the high top is an old campsite, as evidenced by rusted tin cans and bottles. My son Sean likes to bring his metal detector to these old localities, so I make a mental note to mention it to him.
Listed GPS coordinates summit view East
I hike back to the Jeep, and like Escalante of old, I will not reach my destination today. Unlike Escalante, I hope to make the journey again, enjoying the air conditioning and speed of travel, ever thankful to those who have gone before.
[1] “Domínguez–Escalante Expedition.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Feb. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dom%C3%ADnguez%E2%80%93Escalante_expedition.
[2] Kirchner, Bill. “The Casting of the Lots Historical Marker.” Historical Marker, The Historical Marker Database, 16 June 2016, www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=59514.